Then the new cash-based Hollywood stock market may be the investment for you. The exchange is being started by the company that currently runs the Hollywood Stock Exchange, which uses play money to bet on the fortunes of celebrities and movies. According to Reuters, the exchange will open next month, pending approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission:

Cantor Fitzgerald said on Monday it expects to launch an electronic futures exchange next month that would allow investors to bet on box office returns for movies. …

The contracts are valued at one-millionth of a share of the film’s expected box office in the first four weeks playing. … If the film earns more than it was calculated to earn, you’re in the money; if not, you’re out — unless of course you shorted the contract.

Investors would own and trade contracts based on Domestic Box Office Receipts up to six months before the underlying film is released.

The Affordable Care Act imposes economic burdens that are the equivalent of taxes, an economist writes. Read more…

About

Economics doesn't have to be complicated. It is the study of our lives — our jobs, our homes, our families and the little decisions we face every day. Here at Economix, journalists and economists analyze the news and use economics as a framework for thinking about the world. We welcome feedback, at economix@nytimes.com.